CPR Annotated Time Table

Title: Canadian Pacific Railway Annotated Time Table

Date: July 19, 1892

Source: Bell Barn Society of Indian Head

Comments: The Bell Farm buildings were well under construction when the Canadian Pacific crew was building its transcontinental railway though this part of present-day Saskatchewan in 1882. In fact, the crews could stand back and watch the flurry of activity that was all around them, as teams of men and horses broke the virgin prairie. Elsewhere they could see men gathering stones for construction of the Bell farmhouse and round barn. As well, carpenters were busy erecting the framework for a number of associated farm buildings. All this occurred only a mile north of the newly laid track.

Later, as regular passenger service was introduced by the CPR, the impressive two-storey stone farmhouse erected on the Bell Farm, and its adjacent round stone barn with its distinctive conical roof and cupola lookout tower could be seen from miles away as trains steamed towards Indian Head. Indeed, at times excursions were arranged for people to quickly travel to the famous farm while water and coal was added to the trains for the next leg.

The CPR also wanted to promote prairie settlement, and therefore highlighted the Bell Farm in its annotated time table, thereby ensuring that travellers would not miss this impressive example of a successful prairie farm enterprise.